Containers carrying aid to Gaza from the Galway Palestine Children’s Appeal were prevented by the Egyptian police from leaving the port in Alexandria on Tuesday.
On February 3 two containers - filled with a wide range of supplies from medical equipment to toys - left Galway on the journey to Gaza via Alexandria in Egypt.
According to Treasa Ní Cheannabháin of the Galway Palestine Children’s Appeal, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate charity in Cairo had agreed to take charge of the containers on their arrival in Egypt.
However on Tuesday, a representative of the EMS called Ms Ní Cheannabháin “in a very distressed state” to inform her that the Egyptian police had prevented the EMS from transporting the aid to its depot close to the border with Gaza. This means the containers remain at the port and it will cost $2,000 a day to store them there.
Ms Ní Cheannabháin has contacted the Irish Ambassador in Cairo Gerard Corr seeking his assistance.
“He has been extremely helpful in the past and we know he will do his utmost,” she said, “but we would appeal to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin to intervene. This aid is desperately needed in Gaza.”
